Al Jolson

Al Jolson (26 May 1886-23 October 1950), born Asa Yoelson, was an American singer, film actor, and comedian who was known for being an icon of jazz, blues, and ragtime. He was also a Republican Party supporter.

Biography
Asa Yoelson was born in Seredzius, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire on 26 May 1886 to a Lithuanian-Jewish family. In 1894, the family moved to New York City in the United States, and Jolson entered the circus as a youth before becoming a vaudeville performer. By the 1930s, he was America's most famous and highly-paid entertainer, and he starred in the first talking picture, "The Jazz Singer", in 1927. He also became a high-profile supporter of the Republican Party, supporting Warren G. Harding in 1920 and Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In 1932, he broke party lines to support Democratic Party presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt, but he returned to the Republicans when he supported Alf Landon in 1936.

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Jolson was the first actor to entertain the troops overseas during World War II, and he performed 42 shows in 16 days for US Army troops during the Korean War. Jolson died in San Francisco, California on 23 October 1950 just weeks after returning from South Korea, with overexertion being one of the causes.